Our catalog record summarizes J.M. Coetzee’s novel this way: At fifty-two, Professor David Lurie is divorced, filled with desire, but lacking in passion. An affair with one of his students leaves him jobless, shunned by his friends, and ridiculed by his ex-wife. He retreats to his daughter Lucy's isolated smallholding, where a brief visit becomes an extended stay as he tries to find meaning from this one remaining relationship.

This description barely even scratches the surface of the masterpiece Coetzee has created in Disgrace. Taking place in South Africa, the story writhes through the complex concept of disgrace and its personal, societal, mental, and emotional aftermath. It is a story of relationships: to family, to creatures, to society, to a higher power, with one’s self. It is no wonder the author is a Nobel Prize winner.

Disgrace leaves the reader saturated and longing at the same time. On one hand, it is as if you want to start reading again and find someone to discuss the book with others. On the other hand, it is as if you want to gently close the book and your eyes and reflect in silence.